
Patient Claim Line have had sight of a recent internal review which has been conducted by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The internal review confirms that an audit of their maternity services took place and identified 52 women who suffered either 3rd or 4th degree perineal tears during childbirth (between 2020 – 2022) were not provided the appropriate aftercare. The affected women were not referred for postnatal urogynaecological and physiotherapy follow-ups. This is in contradiction to national guidelines which states patients should be reviewed in the postnatal period to discuss injuries sustained during childbirth to help reduce the impact.
How can Patient Claim Line help if there has been medical negligence?
For those women who suffer perineal trauma without the offer of appropriate aftercare and treatment it could have adverse effects on their health. There is an expectation that you will be informed by the hospital of any treatment or referral needed, however if you believe you have been effect we encourage you to take action. Perineal tears can be associated with significant complications if not managed appropriately and this could equate to medical negligence.
Why talk to us about making a medical negligence claim?
Making a claim is not just about getting financial compensation for something which was avoidable, it is also a vital in preventing it happening to someone else.
Christian Beadell Head of Group Actions said:
“We are very concerned to have been notified of the failure by Pinderfields Hospital to ensure adequate follow up and referral for those patients who have sustained 3rd and 4th degree tears following delivery. This is a significant birth injury and guidelines exists to ensure that patients receive prompt and appropriate follow up treatment to minimise the impact and prevent worsening.
The Trust has identified that at least 15% of all patients who sustained tears between 2020 and 2022 did not have a referral and this is unacceptable. It is crucial that these patients are given swift follow up and that the reason for the oversight are identified. The trust must ensure that patients prior to 2020 are not affected and that the problem is now addressed to provide the necessary reassurance to all patients using the maternity service.”
Key allegations
52 women have suffered either 3rd or 4th degree perineal tears during childbirth
These women did not receive appropriate aftercare and were not been referred for a follow-up
This goes against national guidelines which states patients should be reviewed in the postnatal period
What happens next?
If you or a loved one are concerned about the maternity care received at Pinderfields Hospital, please contact our expert medical negligence solicitors to talk about your experience. Our specialists will advise you on a no obligation basis, and explain the claims process, should you have a valid claim.
Have you been impacted?
At Patient Claim Line, our vastly experienced team help people on a No Win, No Fee basis, removing any financial risk. If you have suffered following childbirth at Pinderfields Hospital we encourage you to call us. We provide a Free, No obligation assessment to see if we can help you.
Find out if you can claimOur team of experts will support you all the way
Our Group Actions team is led by Christian Beadell and Francesca Paul. They are supported by a dedicated team of expert medical negligence solicitors. The team forms part of a wider medical negligence department, with Peter Rigby at the helm. Our Group Actions team specialises in bringing forward collective clinical negligence claims against a hospitals, and have a track record of successfully securing compensation for our clients.

Peter Rigby
Director of Medical Negligence
Peter leads the Medical Negligence Serious Injury department, which now boasts some of our most knowledgeable, dedicated and hardworking team members.
Peter is dedicated to supporting victims of catastrophic medical negligence injuries and endeavours to provide a clear and coherent approach to claims. He recognises the effects serious injuries can have and therefore ensures his customers’ need for support is met. Peter also has a vast amount of experience working with customers who have been injured abroad and is able to act under international law to provide the best outcomes.
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Christian Beadell
Partner, Head of Strategy and Legal Operations
Christian is Head of Medical Negligence at Patient Claim Line and has specialised in clinical negligence claims since qualifying in 1998; having dealt with a wide variety of claims throughout his career. He is also featured in the Legal 500 as a recommended claimant solicitor in the North West.
Christian qualified as a solicitor in 1998, specialising in clinical negligence. From 2010 onward he has had a particular interest in gynaecological and urogynaecological claims, having represented several hundred claimants in the George Rowland Litigation against the Liverpool Women’s and Aintree Hospitals. This investigated the treatment given to women in the Merseyside area over several decades, and in particular focused on the introduction and development of mesh into the UK in both the treatment of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. The development of this area involved pursuing claims under a unique ADR protocol with the NHS and also looking to develop the current thinking on the valuation of compensation for complex urinary symptoms. He has successfully recovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in compensation on behalf of my clients.
Christian was also involved in setting up and chairing a Claimant Support Group for those involved in the Rowland litigation, which provided a discussion forum for the many women who were left isolated and damaged by negligent gynaecological treatment. He now co-ordinates the firm’s mesh claims and has delivered training and commented extensively on the medico-legal implications of urogynaecological / mesh complications. He is a member of APIL, Liverpool Law Society and Legal 500 recommended.
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Francesca Paul
Associate Solicitor
Francesca Paul is an Associate, Senior Solicitor and Team Leader within the Clinical Negligence Department. She is one of the driving Solicitors in the Group Litigation Team dealing with this niche and specialist area of work that Fletchers undertakes.
Francesca previously worked in Nottingham, dealing with Group Action work. She now works at Fletchers, bringing with her those years of experience heading up a team of 10 people. Francesca is involved in the early identification of potential new Group Litigation Work and analyses information from the collective pool of new enquiries into the business, of which there are hundreds per week looking for hot spots or recurrent issues which might suggest a potential pool of Claimants.
One of the highlights for Francesca and her team is that they have successfully recovered over a million pounds in compensation for clients who have received treatment from a single orthopaedic surgeon who was operating in the Colchester area. Her role requires a specific set of skills, patience and a forensic approach to detail whilst being able to see the wider picture.
Francesca has previously acted for a claimant in a case that reached the Supreme Court in the case of NA v Nottinghamshire County Council.
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Sion Wynne
Senior Solicitor
Sion is a team leader and senior solicitor with many years’ experience in dealing with a wide range of medical specialisms and different types of injuries. He is an experienced medical negligence solicitor and manages a team of lawyers within our department.
Sion joined Fletchers in 2018 as a Team Leader in the Medical Negligence Department. Throughout his 24 year legal career, he has specialised in conducting medical negligence claims on behalf of Claimants, previously working for other highly ranked leading firms in the field.
He has undertaken claims covering the full spectrum of medical specialisms, clinical settings, categories of defendant and types of negligent medical care and treatment.
These include high value and complex maximum severity cases, such as those involving limb amputations and permanent neurological injuries.
Sion is experienced at representing bereaved families at inquests and has a particular interest in fatal accident claims.
Notable Cases
JI v Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust: £1.25m recovered for client left paraplegic after spinal anaesthesia.
RS v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: £150,000 recovered for client in respect of a failure to recognise complications after a kidney transplant, where her father was the donor.
JN v MA: £100,000 recovered for a client who suffered 2 years persistent pain and disability after knee replacement surgery undertaken as a private patient.
CS v Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust: £400,000 recovered for a child who sustained Erb’s palsy during her delivery.
WO’C (Deceased) v Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; £450,000 recovered for the family of the deceased who died as a result of a delay in diagnosing a brain tumour.
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